Junction-box mounting



Dec. 18, 1928,

Filed June 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I 3 01 I i i i U U I l l l I j i I I Z 7 I l .J

| :0 0: I l T I W l 1 1 l 1 i 1 I I l l l F I 1 I I I I Q l I 0' "a I a :0 I P 1 l Dec. is, 1928.

Patented Dec. 18, 19:28,

,IUYNIT-EFD' ALFRED r. CLARK, my -riioirnnrrsnn; AND "iromr n. min oF-is'Ar'rrMo'nE; mMARYLAND.

' summon-Box movnrmeu The invention relates. to. articulated ,lelect-ric railway cars, particularly to the elect-rical equipment therefor.

The principal ob i'ect generally stated, is to'provide ajunction box mounting characterized by ready accessibility for the purpose ofmaking installations, connecfiions and repairs.

It :is a common practice to locate the junction'zbox of an electric railway car theneathathe car but it is quite obvious that such a position is .iu-nsatisfactory for the reason thati it is a more or, less difl'icult.

, other "illuminating means so 'rth at :the box I and the associated elements sand surroundings may be seen. Eurthe1-more,1in-1the case oif .-articulated car-includingwpivotally connected sections it is obvious that thecables or conduits therefor must move Whenever the car travels aboutioralong'acunve. This almost constant movzing oi zthe cables subj ects them to an unusualandin tact excessive internal "friction Which may, \within a com.- iparatiively short time, ioause disintegration of the cables themselves and breathing iloose of the terminal connections.

It is With the above fact-sin wiew that we have designed the. present invention which has for a anorespecific v-obgectwthe provision of a junction box mounting whereby the box will 'bevlocatediat the .top or -the drum which constitutes; or which 'lis located at the pivotal connection of the car sections, the box and :the cables lleadingwthereto being in an :entirely exiposed position and conse quently {capable 40f instmnt'and' ready- ;access Whenever repairs are needecl-,-1there-1bjeing ample space enabling a Workman to perform any :needed operations in .aconvenient and ,co'mzfiortable imanner gsothat time and labor will he saved, "the box and itsiconnections 'ibeing clearly visible under ordinary lighting conditions. a I l An important object of the invention is :to' provide a mounting permitting rotary movement of rthejunction box so that it and of r the invention,

drawings .in which .structure is further shown :as :inclntlin fi SPlClGjl 'ililkB bracket :mxt angular formation which" is immaterial.

suitable openings receiving the tubular member '7 so that the "latter I willibe effec'tu- 'the ozrllles connected therewith illcally =;adjus;tthemselves ,as the car travels about or -along curves. Obviously [there will I be lessbending-ofithecables ornonduitsand i the junction boiigmfiy be bodily [removed from thegmou i gflincase such is round desirable {for any reason Tothe ttaimnent of the rfiorego i g end other objects and advantages-Hie invent on preferablyoconsists in the construction, ar f rangement ttllClfCODlblilitffilOIl got pants to be I hereinafter more fully desonibrd and 7:0 claimed, and ililustrateclin the a company ng I Figurel is aside elevation-cit.aqportionof an YelBQ r-ic railway car show' g: the. articula tion' 'and illustrating the jiunoticm' box and 7, its mounting in position i Q a Figure; 2 is aside elwation got- {the heir 1 end it fmon ti g; Zias e ng bre newy and section; and v e ,:Fig u;re 3=is elevation atiright gangles to *lteferrrng ;more particularly to, the drawings, --the ,numenihls 11 pond? d s gna he mee ing ends -01"; t e two. sections 7 of an articulated e ectric railway car, andB ;repre-= ,sent "th upright cylindrical= drum incented at the V-pwotail connection;

new-wing -.out the present inven -ion We Pr de shearing st uctureindicated generally atAi, "which bearing :sbfncture vprefer-'90 ably includes .-a socket u'nember bolted tor otherwise suitably secured upon the 11111113 at the center thereof. 'lhe-socketmemberiis shown {as \having an upstandinginternally {threaded flange {6 Within evil-rich is screwed 95 or othemvise secured ;an upstanding tubular bearing element 7/ which may, in iactua-l practice bela section :oat ipiipe; The bearing with its .arms 8 located uoutwardly- Oifntllfi so ket memberb and suitablylsecuredto the t'op of the fllr uni. "This bracket device may conveniently be formed of strips lloefltdflltt) the desired shape and arranged in cross relation, though thisis a mechanical detail The upper portiorr of this bracketmeniber is'provided with a ally braced and held rigidly in upright position. At its top the tubu ar member 7 is preferably provided with a cap 10 held thereon in any desired manner and serving as a bearing element. y The junction box itself is designatedby the numeral 11 and is of any ordinary or preferred type and equipped with the usual connections 12 for the cables 13. Within the box it is preferable that the connecting means for the cables consist oi. knuckle members carried by the cables andhav ng proper engagement, the knuckle connection permitting the cables to accommodate themselves to the movementof the car sections, though it should be understood that a panel board may be substituted it desired. In accordance with the invention the box is mounted upon a slab l4 oi wood or other non-conductin material, it being preferable that a sheet of rubber 15, or the like, be interposed between the slab and the box. Beneath the slab is secured a metallic plate 16 to which is fastened, by any suitable means, a socket member 17 having a bore 18 receiving the upper end of a depending trunnion 19 rotatably engaged within the tubular member 7. A transverse pin 20 or the like may be used for the purpose of holding the trunnion rigid with respect to the socket member 17. As an added refinement, we may provide a washer 21 located between the cap 10 and the confronting face of the socket member 17.

Gravity alone may be relied upon for holding the box and its trunnion in proper position with respect to its bearing support, though, if preferred, a positive retaming means may be provided, such, for

instance, as the screw 22 passing through one side of the member 7 and engaging within a groove 23 in the trunnion. Obviously, any equivalent may be substituted.

As the trunnion is intended to rotate within the tubular member 7 any suitable lubri eating means such as the cup shown at 24. may be provided wherebv oil or grease may be supplied to the bearing surfaces.

In the use of the device it is quite apparent that when mounted on the drum which is located at the pivotal connection of the car sections, the device is readily accessible at all times and in plain view so that disconnection or bad condition of the wires and connections therefor may be quickly seen. Furthermore, as the box is rotatable with respect to its bearing and supporting bracket it can readily accommodate itself to various positions which might be caused by flexing or bending of the conductors or conduits when the car is passing over curvedtrack. Obviously, there must be a certain amount of slack in all of the cables or conductors asotherwise breaking strain would come upon them when the car passes over curved track. With the .junction box pivotally mounted as disclosed, it,

is obvious thatwhen the car sections pivot in rounding a curve the cables at the out sidewill become taut while those at the inside of the curve will slacken to a still great er extent than originally; The pull upon the outside cables will naturally cause the box toassume an intermediate position or with its longitudinal axis bisecting I the angle between the transverse axes of the car sections For this reason there willlbe less internal friction produced inthe conduits or conductors.and they will consequently I'Olflttlll in better condition than is ordinarily the case and be capable of prolonged use before replacement is necessary.

\Vbilo we have shown, and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the. disclosure is merely illustrative of avery convenient construction, it bein quite conceivable that many changes and modifications may be resorted to in the matter of details of construction, connection and arrangement pro vided such variations constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus describedthe invention, we claim:

1. In combination with the. conducting cables and conduits of an electric railway car including articulated sections each having its own conductors, a junction box for the conductors pivotally mounted at a position in line with the axis of the car with its axis in the axis of articulation of the car sections. i

2. In an electric railway car of the articulated type including pivotally connected sections and a drum at the pivotal connection, a junction box for the current conductors of the car sections pivotally mounted at the top of the drum with its axis substantially in line with the pivotal connection of the sections.

3. In an electric railway car of the articulated type including pivotally connected sections and a drumat the pivotal connection, a junction box for .the current conductors of the car sections mounted at the top of the drum, and means for. mounting the box whereby it will be capable of pivotal movement to accommodate flexing strains on the conductors during relative movement of the car sections.

4. In an electric railway car including articulated sections, a junction box for the current conductors of the car sections, and a pivotal mounting for the junction box loeated at the top of the car above theaxis of articulation of the sections thereof. I

5. .In an electric railway car including articulated sections, a'junction box for the current conductors of the car sections, and a car sections.

I 1,e95,ese- I mounting :for tliejunction box located at the top of thecar at the point of articulation of the sections thereof, the mounting including a bearing structure and a rotatable eleinent fixed with respect to the junction box and movably mounted withinthe bearing structure, the rotatable element having its axis adjacent the axis of articulation of the,

6. In an articulated including sections having current conductors, a unctionbox for the'conductors,

and a bearingbracket structure mounted at the top of the car at the point of articulation'and pivotally supporting the junction box in substantially coaxial relation to the axis of articulation to permit movement thereof in a horizontal plane.

electric railway car 7. In an articulated car, a plurality of pivotally connected, sections, vestibules at the pivotal connections, and main'cable sup-v ports mounted above the topsof the vestibules for maintainingthecables out of contact with the vestibules and adjacent parts. 8.- In combination with a plurality of car con'ductorsof adjacent car'bodies pivotally mounted with its axis substantially coincident' with the axis o'f'the'pivotal connection of the car bodies 25 bodieshaving pivotal connection and having 7 current conductors, a unctlon box for-the Inetestimony whereof we affix our signa v 

